Gen (Japanese: 元) or (ゲン, Gen) is a Chinese martial arts master and former assassin (most likely an assassin for the Chinese government) who uses legendary fighting techniques. Stated by the official website [1] to be in his 70s by the time of Super Street Fighter IV, Gen is a legend in the Chinese underworld. However, he has been diagnosed with a fatal illness believed to be leukemia, and is seeking to die as he has lived: fighting. He is currently the only character in the Street Fighter series who can switch between fighting styles (having 2 of them) during a match, and one of the few characters in fighting games with multiple movesets. He also notably taught Chun-Li the art of Tai Chi.

Contents

Biography

Appearance

Gen is an elderly man with an often stern look on his face. He wears a purple outfit and has a red sash around his clothes, and wears red Chinese martial art shoes with white socks. He has white hair and has a long white beard. In the original Street Fighter, he had black pupils in his eyes. In his more recent incarnations, his appearance has changed considerably, as his eyes are now completely white in color, showing neither visible irises nor red veins.

Personality

Gen is a silent, precise and wise man who takes his assassinations very seriously and prefers to fight formidable foes, such as Akuma and Ryu. He also has the tendency to muse over death, likely due in part to his condition.

Story

Pre-Street Fighter

Gen was known as one of the big legends of martial arts, supposedly being the "man who killed a hundred". He was not only a great martial artist, but a legendary assassin, said to be invincible. Gen was also a friend of Chun-Li's father, and he briefly trained her in her youth. Gen also owned a restaurant called Genhanten in Sendai, Japan - where he met Ryu for the first time.

Later, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and did not have much time to live. Gen did not blame his loss in the first tournament on his illness. At first, he decided he would be careful and just manage his restaurant, but old foes sent assassins who made repeated attempts on his and his family's lives. Due to this, he decided he would stop hiding and go out fighting, in a blaze of glory, as he felt it was a more honorable way to die.

He went on a search for a worthy opponent, taking on members of Shadaloo and other syndicates, to provoke a fight to the death in which he would meet his demise. Word got around about Akuma, a fighter who fully embraced the Satsui no Hadou. After seeking him out, Gen challenged him to a fight that he hoped would be decisive. The two fought fiercely until the end, each surviving the other's finishing blow. However, Akuma sensed that Gen was terminally ill, making it an unfair fight. Thus, Akuma decided to end the match, leaving Gen to his fate.[2]

Eventually, Akuma was once again challenged by Gen, but although the results of the battle are unknown, Gen did survive (it is most likely that Akuma only fought him in a regular fight instead of a battle to the death).

Gen, haunted by nightmares where he is surrounded on all sides by the ghosts of those he has killed in the past when he was still an assassin, scorns the ghosts and says that while he is still alive, he will not succumb to the likes of them. [3]Reflecting on how Chun-Li has grown into a strong and admirable woman, he knows he cannot protect her for much longer, as his time is running short. He remembers the day when his illness allowed Shadaloo to capture her father: cursing his body and its "infernal frailties", he vows not to let them get away.[4]

He joins the S.I.N. organized tournament and at some point Chun-Li finds him and demands that he tell her all that he knows about what happened to her father. Gen refuses and fades away, leaving her alone. When the S.I.N. base is destroyed, Gen protects Chun-Li from the ensuing collapse, though it's not shown how. While partially trapped under the rubble, Gen witnesses Akuma and Gouken fight over an unconscious Ryu, internally referring to the two fighters as "Life and Death". He muses that "Death is indeed strong."[4] Impressed by what he called their "ultimate battle", in which both men were "prepared to give up the ghost",[3] Gen resolves not to die until "the final battle between Life and Death",[4] so he returns to what he calls "my own fight to the death".[3]

Gameplay/Fighting Style

Gen's assassination style incorporates various Kung Fu styles, such as Mantis, Crane, and Tiger, albeit having strikes that often targeted the opponent's vital parts, hence making Gen's Kung Fu life-threatening.
In Street Fighter Alpha 2, Gen was given the ability to switch between two fighting styles during gameplay. The Sou-style (暗殺拳・喪流,Ansatsuken Sō Ryū?, "Murderous Fist Mourning style") and the Ki-style (暗殺拳・忌流,Ansatsuken Gi Ryū?, "Murderous Fist Hateful style"). These fighting styles are also known as the "Mantis style" and "Crane style" respectively in the English localization of Street Fighter Alpha 2 (later games retained the original Japanese names).[5] When he changes from one style to another, Gen's fighting stance, basic techniques, special moves and even Super Combos are changed.

In the Sou-style, Gen's special moves include the Hyaku-Ren-Kou (百連勾,Hyakurenkō?, "Hundred Rapid Captures"), in which he strikes the opponent rapidly with hand stabs, and the Geki-Rou (逆瀧,Gekirō?, "Reverse Cascade"), a vertical jump kick which can be followed with another. His Super Combos while using the Sou-style include the Zan-ei (惨影,Zan-ei? the "Cruel Phantom") and the Shitenshu (死点咒,Shitenshū?, "Death Point Curse"). When using the Sou-style, Gen can chain his basic attacks from lower to higher strength level, being the only character with this ability besides Guy.[6]

In the Ki-style, Gen's special moves includes the Jyasen (蛇穿,Jasen?, "Serpent Drill"), and the Ouga (徨牙,Ōga?, "Wandering Fang"). His Super Combos include the Jya-Kou-Ha (蛇咬叭,Jakōha?, "Snake Bite Opening") and the Kouga (狂牙,Kōga?, "Lunatic Fang").

When Gen is played on X-ism mode in Street Fighter Alpha 3, he loses the ability to switch between fighting styles. Instead, he has a blended style which uses techniques from both styles (except for the Ouga technique) and uses the Zan-ei as his sole Super Combo.

Other appearances

Gen appears as a main character the live-action movie, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, portrayed by Robin Shou. Depicted as a younger martial arts master, he serves as the leader of a secret anti-crime organization known as the Order of the Web. It is Gen who teaches Chun-Li her more advanced moves, including the Kikoken, and accompanies her in the fight against Bison and Shadowloo. His back-story also reveals he was a partner-in-arms with Bison in their earlier days as criminals, but Gen eventually left him, no longer tolerant of stealing from others.

Sprites

Trivia

In Gen's stage in the original Street Fighter, there are a lot of signs in the background. Some of the signs include Southeast Asia Money Exchanger, Siu Wah Bargagain ("Bargain" misspelled) Palace, Gou Norman French Cuisine, etc., which hints that his stage is in Hong Kong.

Gen is the only Street Fighter character that can change fighting styles in mid fight. This makes him one of the most difficult characters to master, as well as one of the most rewarding.

He is known for his quote in English, spoken to a defeated opponent: "You are a big fool!" Incidentally, Gen says this before his final battle against M. Bison in Alpha 3.

When Gen and Akuma fight in Street Fighter Alpha 3, they perform their signature moves on each other before the fight begins, re-enacting the fight described above.

In the original Street Fighter, Gen uses an attack in which he kicks with both feet while balancing on one hand. Chun Li can be seen using this same attack in Street Fighter III.

The Senkyutai special move used by Yun and Yang in Street Fighter III: New Generation is similar to two of Gen's special moves from Street Fighter Alpha 2 (i.e., his juggling kick special used in Sou style, and his rolling special used in Ki style)

Gen is one of the 19 characters from Street Fighter IV to not have second rivals, despite having his ultra combo video to include his second rival (Guy).

A small AI bug caused CPU Gen players in Street Fighter Alpha 2 to occasionally "spazz-out", and perform various springs of attacks, even when the player is far out of reach of the attacks.

Due to the fact that he has two fighting styles, Gen is the only character in Super Street Fighter IV to have two Super and four Ultra Combos.